Province helps indigenous access library services

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

The Alberta government recently announced it will provide more than $670,000 to six regional library systems and three large urban libraries in Alberta to cover non-resident library fees for individuals living in indigenous communities.
Prior to this announcement, individuals living in indigenous communities were required to pay a fee to access public library services. However, the recent announcement dismisses this fee and this new change is already in effect.
Marigold Library System, which covers Strathmore and south central Alberta, will see this new funding. The system represents 36 libraries and 44 municipalities and stretches from the B.C. border to the Saskatchewan border, outside the city of Calgary.
“With funding that has now been provided to regional library systems, it enables a person from a reserve to come into any library and access resources and materials just like a resident who resides in a municipality,” said Laura Taylor, assistant director with Marigold Library System.
Taylor explained that traditionally, persons who resided on reserves were not given free access to public libraries because reserves are federally funded while public libraries are mainly funded by provinces or municipalities.
Taylor said Marigold received funding to provide library services for the Siksika Nation and the Stony Nakoda Nation. The library system will focus on communicating the message of accessible library services to indigenous people and will try to connect with schools to spread the message.
“We’re really trying to reach out to the schools as a first step and hopefully down the road be able to connect and promote the library in different ways so that people become familiar with what it is and what’s available,” said Taylor, who added it is something libraries have been advocating and striving to have.
Richard Feehan, Alberta’s Minister of Indigenous Relations, said in a news release: “All people in Alberta, no matter where they live, should have equitable access to public libraries. Removing non-resident library fees is a small but important step towards ensuring indigenous communities have the same resources and opportunities as all Albertans.”
The cost of a family membership for indigenous people used to be $70.
“It’s a huge cost for a public library service and so it was a huge detriment to many people to use the library for that reason,” said Taylor.
For indigenous people who may not have used the public library service in the past, there may be some learning and awareness that needs to take place.
“It’s going to take a bit of time to educate and let people know what the public library is and what services are available and how a public library works,” said Taylor.
Some libraries charge a membership fee and Taylor said this fee is usually $12; however, some libraries don’t charge a fee at all. Strathmore Municipal Library does charge a fee.
Under the new provincial coverage, local lending policies and procedures will still apply to things such as overdue books; however, every library is different because they are autonomous.
Taylor said the library system has been acquiring materials that focus on First Nations individuals and are materials that are written by reputable First Nations authors.
“It’s a way to provide awareness to the community about First Nations individuals and it’s also for First Nations individuals to access these materials.”
Taylor said that library system will be using some of its funding to connect and identify delivered programming to the various First Nations.